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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29299524">We Die Like Men, Weeping and Unprepared</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Siobunny/pseuds/Siobunny'>Siobunny</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Nine Chaotic Dumbasses [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Minecraft (Video Game), Original Work</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Admin health corresponds directly with server health, Cuddles, Death, Death by Mobs, Friendship, Gen, Hurt, Hurt/Comfort, Life count, Monsters, Platonic Cuddling, Platonic Female/Male Relationships, Platonic Relationships, Respawning, Respawning hurts, Server admin, Survival Minecraft, Temporary Death, The farther away you are the longer it takes, minecraft rp, minecraft world, serious injury</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-02-09</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-03-23</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-13 07:13:36</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Graphic Depictions Of Violence</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>5</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>11,297</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29299524</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Siobunny/pseuds/Siobunny</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Kathleen, as server admin, created a new world. No one else remembers the old one, much to her relief, and she hopes it will stay the way it is now: everyone helping each other, sharing, and having fun.</p><p>Of course it doesn't.</p><p>-------------------</p><p>I was playing on a server with some friends, and things started happening that I though would be interesting to write down, story-style. It's going to be garbage, but here we are. :)</p><p>Warnings (so far): swearing, graphic depictions of violence, temporary death</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Nine Chaotic Dumbasses [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/2151930</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>6</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. The First Day</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hello! Welcome to the abyss. My friends are chaotic minecrafters from the original days, and we went WILD with its resurgence. One of our servers turned dramatic (Dream SMP style) and I thought I would write about it. Kind of like writing a D&amp;D game (which never goes well). Good luck, and leave your gun and badge at the door.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Kathleen sat on the grass, letting the sun warm her hair as her friends worked on their respective tasks around her. This new world was beautiful, with their spawn being a small plains oasis surrounded by desert, with a sand mountain to the northwest, an ocean to the southeast, and a village directly south. A river wound past spawn, quietly bubbling and full of fish. Kathleen smiled, closing her eyes. The sounds of her friends working was relaxing, and hearing them getting along was lovely. There was no sign of any prior animosity, as always, but she couldn't keep the thought away that one day they wouldn't forget the last world.</p><p>Raye and Ausa were working on a starter house together, Raye carefully placing blocks as Ausa ferried materials to her. Jack was building his house on top of the nearest hill, with a lovely view of the desert mountain and the nearby village. Aria was digging into the side of another hill, building a little square room. Lily and Anna also had a dual house going, but they already couldn’t agree on whether it was supposed to be one or two story this early in the world. Shea was building a cobblestone tower, and Connor had gone a few blocks away and was building a modest dirt hut, complete with a little poppy on top. So far, his was Kathleen’s favorite.</p><p>“Kathleen, aren’t you going to build a house?” Lily called, poking her head out of the single block space that appeared to be serving as a window. Kathleen opened her eyes and reached for her hat, placing it back on her head as she stood and dusted herself off.</p><p>“Yeah, soon!” she called back. “Until then, can I just crash at your place?”</p><p>Lily grinned and nodded, head disappearing back through the window. Kathleen smiled, then glanced quickly toward the village. They had already cased it, and the villagers were kind and willing to trade. She wanted to get started on the trading as quickly as possible, just to see what was available. And to find out which villagers would be most devastating to lose. You know. Regular things.</p><p>She went over to check on Raye and Ausa. There was already an argument going on from the opposite side of the house, and she sat back to listen, amused.</p><p>“Ausa, I swear, I will end your life if you put that corner block in again.”</p><p>“Excuse me, ma’am,” Ausa responded, hurt. “It adds to the aesthetic.”</p><p>“You know what else adds to the aesthetic? Flowers. Trees. Greenery. Carpet. Not a log corner.”</p><p>“But it really makes it look better, Raye! Honestly, look at how much that improves it. So much better than just wood planks.” There were sounds of blocks being placed, followed by a loud punch. Suddenly Ausa was running around the side of the house, full-panic, as Raye chased him with a wooden axe. </p><p>“Come here, you sad little man!” Raye yelled, and Ausa screamed.</p><p>“Get the fucking psycho demon off me!” he wailed, running toward Jack’s skeleton of a house. Jack looked up and laughed, dodging out of the way of Ausa’s sprinting and Raye’s swinging axe. As they ran farther away toward the desert mountain, the man’s screaming and the woman’s maniacal laughter fading from earshot, Jack glanced over to Kathleen, shrugged, and returned to building his house. Kathleen wandered over, pulling apart a cornflower. Jack dipped his head in greeting.</p><p>“How’s it going?” he asked, glancing over in between placing blocks.</p><p>“Not bad. It’s good to see everyone getting along.” Kathleen glanced over to where Shea and Connor were setting up a small farm between their houses, pushing back the memory of watching Shea drive her sword through his throat. Right now, there was no evidence of animosity, just friendly joking and the occasional carrot thrown at the other. </p><p>“Why wouldn’t we be?” Jack asked, and Kathleen realized he had stopped building, a puzzled look on his face.</p><p>“It’s just a nice thing to see, not that I would expect any different.” She made the attempt to shrug nonchalantly, ignoring her heart that had somehow worked its way from her chest into her throat. It was always this way: someone would ask a question that probed a little too closely, and suddenly the fact that Kathleen was unable to lie well would become painfully apparent.</p><p>Jack didn’t seem convinced, for good reason, but returned to building. Kathleen moved on, not wanting to be questioned further on something that was beyond their comprehension, especially this early. She couldn’t tell them she had lived through several worlds of her own creation. Originally, she had been on her own, testing her admin powers and finding her limits. She had completely destroyed one world, herself included, and had floated through the void for what felt like years as her body repaired itself. Those scars had never completely faded.</p><p>As time wore on she realized how lonely she was, and travelled other worlds until she found people willing to join her. First it had been Aria, then Lily and Anna, then Connor, then (albeit grudgingly) Shea, then Raye and Ausa, and finally Jack. It was annoying; the most recent addition was consistently the most inquisitive and the hardest to lie to. They very rarely remembered the previous worlds that had ended up dying, but when they did, the current world didn’t last long after. Usually they just got bits and pieces in their dreams, and they never thought about it at the beginning, because how could something so awful happen between such a close group of friends? Especially when each person only had five lives per world?</p><p>Kathleen didn’t understand it in the slightest. She had no idea where she came from, how long she had been in the void before she had discovered the admin abilities, what gave her the abilities, or why anything that happened, happened. It just was, and she didn’t question it. She was too tired. Not physically; new world equals new body, without all the damage that came from long, hard use. There was a little residual pain, but not the ever-present exhaustion that wars always brought. This new body didn’t feel that yet. No, the exhaustion was mental, from seeing her friends turn on each other over and over, their deaths, their hatred and sadness and pain. She was so, so tired.</p><p>Pausing in her walk, she breathed deeply, the new air filling her lungs. It smelled of the sea just over the hills to the southeast, with the clean smell of the plains and a little of the dust of the desert. Clean, new, and fresh. She could almost feel it running through her blood, cleansing her of the thoughts of wars and scorched earth. As the breeze floated past, she heard Shea’s voice raise a bit, so she decided to visit them next. She was not disappointed.</p><p>“Hey, bitchboy, give me that carrot.”</p><p>“Anything for you, whore.”</p><p>“You’re such a loser.”</p><p>“And you’re a bitch.”</p><p>“Mmmm. Then why do you always do what I ask?”</p><p>Kathleen laughed, coming up on the two. Both were covered in mud and leaves, Shea’s red locks tied back in a messy bun and Connor’s dark hair flopping into his eyes. Connor was half-cocked to throw the aforementioned carrot at Shea. Shea looked up at Kathleen’s laugh and started to smile, just as the carrot slammed into her cheek and landed in the irrigation ditch. She immediately whirled on the man, a stick appearing in her hand. “I am going to use this stick to make you regret ever living,” she said, sounding remarkably calm despite the fire in her blue eyes.</p><p>“Kinky,” Connor said, and raised his eyebrows. Shea narrowed her eyes at him, and Kathleen jokingly stepped between the two.</p><p>“Ladies, ladies, please! We are just starting out! It’s a little too early to murder each other, right?”</p><p>“Never,” the said at the same time. </p><p>“He stole my catchphrase,” Shea complained.</p><p>“’Kinky?’ Didn’t you want it to catch on? Focus on your farm. I’ll even help, make sure the two of you don’t use up your lives!” Kathleen said, continuing her attempt to placate. She crouched and fished for the carrot in the ditch, pulling it out triumphantly to see that they had started grinning, turning back to their planting. </p><p>Several hours later, the three sat back from the farm and looked at the results. A little fenced-in field, with wheat, carrots, and potatoes, well-lit and gated so no animals or mobs would end up in it. For a first farm it wasn’t too bad. Eventually they would have an automated one, but until then, they were proud of the thing. They all sat on the edge of one of the ditches, bare feet dangling in the cool water and watching the sun creep toward the horizon. The sky was already a bit pink.</p><p>Raye and Ausa had returned a while ago, carrying a stack of cactus for green dye and to put in pots. Despite earlier threats, Ausa had survived the first day. Jack had finished a pretty good starter home, complete with beds and several rooms. Aria had been underground all day, and resurfaced for dinner with plenty of iron to go around. Anna and Lily’s house was almost completely finished, two-storied, small but cute. And a cow farm out back.</p><p>“Dearest darling love?” Shea asked innocently, and Connor rolled his eyes, leaning forward to see around Kathleen, who sat between the two. He schooled his face into a sugared smile.</p><p>“What can I do for you?” he responded, sickly sweet.</p><p>A potato sailed over Kathleen and hit Connor’s head with a solid <i>thump<i>, nearly knocking him over. “Nothing. Just wanted to say hi,” Shea said, leaning back on her elbows and laughing.</i></i></p><p>
  <i>
    <i>“You’re a whore.”</i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>“You can’t say anything, bitchboy.”</i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>Kathleen stood, shaking her head and smiling. “I can smell dinner, and I bet it is almost ready. You two should go help get everything together for the meal.”</i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>“Yes <i>mother</i>,” Shea responded, getting to her feet and then offering Connor a hand. Both women watched the wheels turn in his head, debating whether or not to pull Shea into the ditch, but Kathleen raised an eyebrow at him. He stood meekly and followed Shea toward Lily and Anna’s house.</i></i>
  
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>“Herding cats, I swear,” she heard Aria say from behind her. “Those two are the epitome of chaos.”</i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>“There is no better way to describe them. As long as they stay on each other’s good side, it’s not too bad.”</i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>Aria laughed lightly. “Free entertainment for the rest of us, if nothing else. And they did get the farm done.” She paused, and Kathleen gave her a playful glare. “With help, of course,” Aria amended.</i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>“How was mining?” Kathleen asked as they made their way toward the outdoor tables Anna had placed around their house, so they wouldn’t have to cram everyone inside.</i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>“Not bad. Apparently I missed all the fun, though. What exactly happened between Raye and Ausa? I only got half of a story from Jack, since he was busy putting his roof up.”</i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>“She didn’t like the log corners, he did. She threatened to kill him if he placed another. Again, he did. And then—” she mimicked an explosion with her hands. “Chaos.”</i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>Aria nodded sagely as they came upon the rest of the group. “Children,” she said, looking down her nose at the two culprits already spooning mushroom stew into their bowls. Raye gave an indignant “Hey!” but couldn’t do much with her hands full. Aria grinned and got in line for food, pretending not to see Raye’s glare.</i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>“Are you denying it?” Shea piped up from the next table, where she sat with her legs in Lily’s lap, leaning back on Anna, all of whom were digging into the stew. </i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>“You can’t deny it,” Jack added. “And if you want to do this democratically, you’ll lose six to two.”</i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>Raye huffed, but sat down next to Ausa anyway. Soon, everyone had stew and was eating slowly, discussing what everyone had done during the long day. As much fun as it had been, the first day was always exhausting. Kathleen looked back over the small valley in the plains where they had decided to take refuge. There were already six houses, a vegetable farm, and a cowpen. While she had seen this group do better, she had also seen them do way, way worse.</i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>As the sun began to set and a brilliant orange painted the sky, Kathleen smiled. Maybe, for once, things would be ok.</i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>
          <b>Life Count:</b><br/>
Kathleen: ?<br/>
Aria: 5<br/>
Lily: 5<br/>
Anna: 5<br/>
Connor: 5<br/>
Shea: 5<br/>
Raye: 5<br/>
Ausa: 5<br/>
Jack: 5
        </i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Yoooo you made it through chapter one! Congrats :D</p><p>Consider leaving feedback!</p><p>Also, the way I have this configured in my head:<br/>Each player besides the admin has 5 lives per world. Every time Kathleen makes a new one, the counter resets. The players only have memory of the worlds that did not end up completely destroyed; for example, a world they got bored of and chose to leave, or one where everyone had too many deaths not caused by other players, they will remember, but they will have no memory of one where Kathleen destroys it because the players were fighting each other until they had no lives left.</p><p>Because of this, they never remember the times that they hated each other, because that always ends in the destruction of the world for the very purpose of them not remembering. Make sense yet? No? That's fair.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. "And a Standard Morning to You Too"</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Day two dawns, with all the chaos expected of a group called the "Nine Chaotic Dumbasses."</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hello! More hijinks and hilarity, no angst yet. I hate to say it, but this is actually a VERY typical morning for us. As always, leave your gun and badge at the door.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p><b>Life Count:</b><br/>
Kathleen: ?<br/>
Aria: 5<br/>
Lily: 5<br/>
Anna: 5<br/>
Connor: 5<br/>
Shea: 5<br/>
Raye: 5<br/>
Ausa: 5<br/>
Jack: 5</p><p>Anna woke the next morning stiff and sore, but with a solid roof over her head. The room was still dark, meaning the sun hadn’t come up yet, and she groaned, rolling over and stuffing her pillow over her head. She felt like she had been hit by a sack of bricks, and she hadn’t slept well on top of that. While she felt it had been a deep sleep, weird dreams had plagued the night, and now she felt more tired than ever.</p><p>Lily was still out cold in the other bed, and Anna saw no reason to drag her aching bones out of bed just yet. Aria had collected a lot of iron, but everyone was so sleepy after dinner they had decided on doing distribution the next morning, so no one really had anything beyond stone tools, which were definitely not adequate when fighting mobs. Especially without armor. Anna shuddered at the memory of getting caught against a cliff with no tools and surrounded by mobs, watching them close in, the skeletons shooting her full of arrows, the zombies tearing at her flesh, the spider sinking its teeth into her leg…</p><p>She shook her head violently. No use thinking of it now. It was several worlds ago, the scars were gone, and she was safe in bed with only the distant hiss of a spider to remind her that it was dangerous outside. She stretched, the sheets tangling around her legs, and folded her hands behind her head, staring at the rough wooden ceiling.</p><p>She didn’t realize she had dozed off until Lily’s voice startled her out of half-sleep. “Good morning,” Lily said with a yawn, stretching her arms over her head. Her shoulder popped loudly, and Anna glared at her.</p><p>“You know I hate that. It’s disgusting.”</p><p>“I know. But it feels <i>soooooo</i> good,” Lily said, almost purring. “It’s great when you pop your spine just right and can feel all the bones pop in order, running up your back.”</p><p>Anna grimaced, causing Lily to laugh loudly as she slid out of bed. “What do you want for breakfast? We have eggs, potatoes, or potatoes and eggs.” She raised her eyebrows at Anna, who had just swung her legs over the side of the bed, setting her feet on the floor carefully so she wouldn’t jar her body too badly.</p><p>“You made dinner, so it’s my turn for food.” Anna said, but couldn’t help the longing look she gave the warm covers.</p><p>Lily saw it. “You did more building than I did yesterday. Get some more sleep. I’ll wake you when its ready, and then go get everyone else.”</p><p>“Are you sure? I can help.”</p><p>“I’m sure. You look absolutely dead. Go back to sleep.” Lily started down the stairs, and Anna rolled back under the covers, deliciously warm and cozy.</p><p>“I love you!” she called after Lily.</p><p>“I know!” Lily responded. </p><p>The quiet sounds of her moving around the kitchen lulled Anna back to sleep.</p><p>The next time she woke, the smell of breakfast filled the room and light was just beginning to pour in through the windows. The combination of the warm room, the amazing smell of potatoes, and the feeling of being just a bit more rested made Anna smile and bury her face into the blanket. She always loved starting a new world. So many possibilities for the things they could do, both as a group and individually.</p><p>There was a quiet murmur of conversation downstairs, and Anna decided to see who had stopped by. The extra sleep had done nothing for the soreness, so dressing was not fun, but eventually she got her shirt buttoned and made her way painfully down the stairs.</p><p>“Morning, sunshine!” Shea said brightly from the table as Anna finally made it to the floor. “You look like you’ve been hit by a minecart.”</p><p>“I feel like it,” Anna groaned, rubbing at a knot that had formed in her shoulder. “How are you so awake this early? You built a house <i>and</i> a farm.”</p><p>Shea smiled. “No clue. I feel like shit.”</p><p>“Watch your fucking language,” Lily said from the stove, and the other two burst out laughing. Anna’s ribs ached terribly, but she couldn’t stop. Shea wheezed in pain and Anna’s head snapped up, worried, but as soon as they made eye contact, they only laughed harder. Suddenly Anna was on the floor, heaving air as much as her sore muscles would allow. Lily turned around to see the two of them in absolute disarray, barely able to breathe through the howls of laughter. “What did I say?” she asked, and the two only got worse. Lily shook her head at them, and threw a piece of potato at Shea.</p><p>“Hey!” Shea yelled, and threw it back. It hit Lily’s cheek, and she whirled on the redhead, immediately throwing her spoon full speed. Shea barely dodged it, but couldn’t avoid the second one Lily pulled from the rack. It sailed into her head with a solid impact, and she looked at it on the ground for a second before releasing a loud cry and toppled off the bench onto the ground. “I have been mortally wounded! Blood, agony, fire, and death! My legacy is murder, my story a tragedy!” she wailed, one hand clutching where the spoon had hit her and the other clutching her chest dramatically. Anna burst out laughing again, holding her sides in pain but unable to stop. Lily was also dying, crouched by the furnace with tears collecting in her eyes.</p><p>The door swung open with a cheery “Good morning!” from Connor, only for him to stop and stare at the mess the kitchen and the three women had become. Shea, lying on the floor, looked up at him, still in the dramatic death pose.</p><p>“How dare you say ‘Good morning’ when I am obviously in my death throes! Connor, I expected better from you at this point.” She glared at him, then flopped over as if dead. The other two only laughed harder as Connor stepped (in what appeared to be an attempt at <i>daintily</i>) over her.</p><p>“You appear to have a whore infestation in your fine establishment,” he said, looking down his nose at the “dead” body. “Would you like me to take care of that for you?”</p><p>“Kinky,” Shea whispered, still feigning death, and Lily snickered.</p><p>“Oh no! The whore appears to be still alive!” Connor gasped. He pretended to step on her chest. “Die, thou promiscuous vermin!”</p><p>She resurrected and grabbed his leg, wrapping her arms and legs around him like a panda around bamboo. “Got you, bitchboy!” she yelled triumphantly, holding tight as he toppled to the floor next to her. </p><p>“Ow ow ow, I am <i>sore,</i> you bitch!” he wailed, holding his ribs. </p><p>“Welcome to the club,” Kathleen said from the door, where she and Aria had just appeared. “I heard proclamations of death and destruction and came to investigate.”</p><p>“I have head trauma,” Shea supplied helpfully, still wrapped around Connor’s leg.</p><p>Lily sputtered indignantly from the stove. “I did not hit you that hard!”</p><p>Anna smiled at the scene, watching her friends bicker playfully as they waited for breakfast. Shea eventually detangled herself from around Connor’s leg, and he stretched out so she could lay her head on his thigh as he leaned back on his hands. The two of them were in an animated debate with Kathleen and Aria over whether or not they should try to get an iron farm this early, and it was escalating quickly but without malice. She noticed that Lily was putting the food onto plates and moved to help her pass them out, but Lily waved her away. “Go get the other three.”</p><p>Anna nodded, stretched quickly, and darted out the door, leaving the chaos behind. The sun was warm and bright, but the air still had the clear crispness of early morning. She took a deep breath and looked around at their area, loving the small houses and wildness surrounding them. Starting fresh was always such a good feeling, before they got too involved and everything was simple and fun. Looking around, the bright green grass and the clear blue sky, with the sound of the river and the breeze rustling through the stand of trees, she desperately wished she could bottle this moment into something that she could relive every time she took a drink.</p><p>With a sigh (and a groan because even breathing too deeply hurt), she headed for Raye and Ausa’s house. She couldn’t tell if they were up yet, but it was unusual for either of them to sleep this late, except for when Ausa had been up the entire night working on brewing. As she walked closer, there was a loud crash inside,  dispelling any idea that they may have been asleep. There was a second crash, followed by a loud shriek from what had to be Ausa. Raye’s voice didn’t get that high.</p><p>Anna knocked on the door, calling “Need help in there?”</p><p>“Just a second!” Raye called back, and Anna waited patiently until the door banged open, a rather breathless-looking Raye on the other side. Surprised, Anna raised her eyebrows as she looked in to see Ausa on the ground, holding a set of shears in one hand a what appeared to be cactus spines in the other, barefoot. His right foot was close to his face, and appeared to be covered in more cactus barbs. He was surrounded by broken pottery and broken cacti.</p><p>“What the hell is going on here?” Anna asked, crouching next to him and reaching out to poke one of the spines. Ausa yanked his foot away and automatically slapped at her hand, but didn’t remember until too late that he had used the one full of needles.</p><p>The barbs stuck into her skin painfully and she reflexively leapt backward, crashing into Raye’s legs, who had just closed the door and was returning to the scene of the crime. “I’m so sorry!” Ausa cried as Anna hissed at the sting.</p><p>“Dumb whore,” Raye laughed in Ausa’s direction, and he looked properly chastened. Raye knelt next to Anna and held out a hand expectantly.</p><p>“Please be careful,” Anna pleaded, giving her the hand that was now red and covered in spines.</p><p>“When am I not?” Raye asked, looking her in the eyes. As she proceeded to rip out all the spines at once. Anna couldn’t help howling in pain, yanking her hand away from the woman and holding it to her chest.</p><p>“I’m so sorry,” Ausa said again, but Anna waved him off.</p><p>“Things happen. Breakfast is ready at our place, by the way.” She stood and shot a glare at Raye, who smiled sweetly, the picture of innocence.</p><p>“You no longer have spikes in your hand, do you?” she asked, and breezed past Anna and out the door. Anna rolled her eyes, sighing dramatically.</p><p>“Children,” she said, and Ausa nodded. He quickly pulled the rest of the spines out of his foot, and Anna helped him to his feet. “So what exactly happened here?”</p><p>He grimaced, looking around at the shattered pottery and cactus lying everywhere. “Raye wanted to start decorating with the cactus, but the original shelf broke and one of the cactus pots fell and shattered. I caught the second one, but Raye fell, bumped into me, and I stepped back onto the first cactus. I then dropped the second cactus.”</p><p>“Yikes,” she responded, opening the door for him as they left the house. “Standard morning.”</p><p>“And a standard morning to you too!” he grinned, closing his eyes as the sun hit his face. “I love new worlds. Always so fresh.”</p><p>Anna hummed in agreement. “It feels like anything can happen, but in a good way. You know?”</p><p>He nodded. “Exactly.”</p><p>They heard a shout, and looked up to see Lily waving furiously from the door of their house. “She’s probably mad that the food is getting cold. Let me go get Jack.” </p><p>She turned toward Jack’s house, only to be stopped by Lily shouting “He’s already here!” Anna shrugged and rejoined Ausa, Lily disappearing back inside.</p><p>“Holy shit it smells amazing,” he said, raising his nose into the air. “Potatoes and eggs?”</p><p>“As if there is anything else to eat yet,” Anna laughed as they approached the door. “It’s day two, my guy.”</p><p>“Fair enough,” he said, and pushed open the door. </p><p>Due to there only being one table, people were everywhere. Raye was sitting in the corner, and as Ausa entered she patted the spot next to her. Aria, Lily, and Kathleen were at the table, and Connor, Shea, and Jack were leaning on the counter by the furnace, for once quiet in their attempts to make it through their food.</p><p>Lily motioned with her head toward two plates on the stove as they entered, and Anna walked over and grabbed Ausa’s for him. He took it with a grateful nod, then went and sat next to Raye. Anna put her plate down next to Aria, across from Kathleen. “How is everyone’s morning going?” she asked, digging into the eggs.</p><p>“Fantastic. I forgot how chaotic everything is when we attempt to eat together,” Kathleen replied, waving her fork around at the occupants of the room.</p><p>Aria nodded. “It is free entertainment though. Especially Dumb Bitch Inc. over there.” She motioned to Shea and Connor, still eating but having slowed down enough to talk again. A lively debate had started up, contrasting the different dye colors and their effects on mood and ambiance, with Jack giving input between bites. From Anna’s view, it seemed as if Shea was defending the properties of cyan and white, while Connor was adamant that red, gold, and black was the best combination.</p><p>Anna smiled but continued to eat, enjoying the warm feeling of a full stomach, the satisfaction (if not comfort) of being sore from hard work, and the swirling chaos of her eight favorite people around her. There was simply nothing better than mornings like these.</p><p>Kathleen felt the same way, and as she watched everyone enjoy each other’s company and share their food and touch each other and show affection, she begged whatever gods may be listening to let them stay this way. </p><p>
  <i>Just once.</i>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>You have made it through chapter 2! :D Kudos to YOU, mis amigos.</p><p>As always, consider leaving feedback. Also, I have started another work called "Vignettes of the Nine Chaotic Dumbasses." Please check it out! It's basically just short stories and, well, vignettes of how people meet or little amusing sections from other worlds and such.</p><p>Thank you so much for reading!!!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. I'll Respawn, You Dumb Bitch</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Aria thought it would be a good idea to explore the mineshaft, and Shea has a habit of leaping without looking.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Chapter 3 BABYYYYYYY</p>
<p>If you're reading this, you have made it through the first two chapters and I literally love you with my heart and soul. All aboard the angst and whump train! </p>
<p>As always, leave your gun and badge at the door.</p>
<p>Consider checking out "Vignettes of the Nine Chaotic Dumbasses." Dumb Bitch Inc. is already going strong.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p><b>Life Count:</b><br/>Kathleen: ?<br/>Aria: 5<br/>Lily: 5<br/>Anna: 5<br/>Connor: 5<br/>Shea: 5<br/>Raye: 5<br/>Ausa: 5<br/>Jack: 5</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Dumb bitch dumb bitch dumb bitch…” Shea muttered under her breath, barely even realizing she was speaking. The mantra was more a tool to keep herself from panicking than an actual insult to Aria, but even if it was, the taller woman wouldn’t have noticed, having fallen unconscious a few minutes ago.</p>
<p>Back aching, Shea readjusted her grip on Aria, trying to ignore the warm, sticky feeling of blood running down her back. “C’mon babe,” she gasped. “Work with me.” Her whole body was on fire; thankfully the pain of the arrow wound in her thigh blended into that. She wasn’t sure if she could keep going if she felt that pain as well. Hauling one of her friends, however light, through a mineshaft while being chased by mobs and wounded herself was plain agony, and she was grateful for any reprieve she could get. She was already clenching her jaw to not let tears fall.</p>
<p>Despite the miniscule reprieve that was adrenaline, she still had Aria slung over her shoulders, and was pretending Aria’s blood wasn’t soaking her back and her own blood wasn’t soaking her left leg. As long as she could make it back to their little room, carved out of the side of the main cave, with furnaces and chests and a <i>door.</i> From there, she could figure out what to do next.</p>
<p>Of course, thinking about it was her downfall. The instant the thought of the room crossed her mind, she stepped on a small rock, small enough that normally she may not have even noticed it, but with an arrow sticking out of her thigh… Her leg jarred painfully, and the next thing she knew she was on the floor, Aria next to her, leg feeling as if it was encased in lava. “Fuck,” she breathed, hands wrapping around the site of injury. The tears she had so stubbornly kept back started to trail down her face, the frustration and pain taking over every other thought in her mind.</p>
<p>Lying there on the cold stone, torch rapidly dimming and the sound of monsters growing ever-louder, all she wanted to do was put her arms over her head and pretend the world didn’t exist. The tears turned into a sob, complete exhaustion throwing all control to the wind. The back of Shea’s mind registered that she was glad Aria was unconscious, since she could count on one hand the amount of times she had cried in front of any of the eight other members of Kathleen’s group, all being after serious injuries.</p>
<p>She desperately wanted to sleep. Just drift off, forget the pain, the fear, the exhaustion, the danger, everything. She wanted to be back in their little valley, throwing carrots at Connor and making fun of Ausa for stepping on a cactus. She wanted everything to stop, for time to slow and just give her a minute to weep like a child.</p>
<p>She didn’t know how long it was before the groan of a zombie echoed through the mineshaft, close enough that Shea was jarred back to reality. Remembering what was going on, she looked over at Aria, whose face was screwed up in pain even in unconsciousness. Guilt washed through her as she realized her momentary weakness had probably killed Aria, not just herself, and seeing her own selfishness made her sick. She angrily swiped the wetness off her face, blood streaking where she had rubbed. “Get up,” she spat at herself, trying to get her hands underneath her. “Get up, you bitch.”</p>
<p>The groan of the zombie was even closer, with the sound of a skeleton joining it. </p>
<p>“Get up, Shea.”</p>
<p>They sounded like they were just around the corner. The patter of spider feet now became apparent.</p>
<p>“Come on!” she yelled, and finally pushed herself to her knees.</p>
<p>They were here. Down the mineshaft about a hundred yards and closing quickly. She dragged herself over to Aria, quickly emptying her own inventory into that of her friend and slinging one of her arms over her shoulders.</p>
<p>“Get. Up.” Shea heaved, shaking like a newborn calf, but managed to get one foot under her and Aria half over her shoulders. An arrow slammed into the fencepost by her head, and a spike of adrenaline in her veins gave her enough to get the other foot under herself. Stumbling backwards, she realized <i>how close</i> they had gotten.</p>
<p>Turning, she staggered down the hall in the direction of the small base, praying desperately that she had enough in her to make it.</p>
<p>---------------</p>
<p>The first thing that penetrated the darkness was a familiar voice chanting “Almost there” over and over. The next was the sickening, jolting motion she seemed to be experiencing, as if she were on a boat in a particularly bad storm. After that, the pain came in swooping waves, crashing over her body and making her beg for the darkness again.</p>
<p>“Shea?” Aria whispered, feeling as if her mouth was full of cotton.</p>
<p>“Good morning,” the redhead said brightly, but the tremor in her voice indicated something was <i>very</i> wrong.</p>
<p>“What happened?” Aria asked, shuddering as Shea jolted harshly.</p>
<p>“I’m so sorry I’m so sorry…” Shea said, almost pleadingly. “Just stay with me, please.”</p>
<p>Aria tried to take a deep breath, but the burning in her side prevented it. “It’s… ok,” she gasped. “Where are we?”</p>
<p>“Mineshaft. You’re hurt.” Shea was obviously panting, and as Aria became more aware of her surroundings she realized the lurching wasn’t just from her head spinning and the waves of pain, but from Shea’s limping.</p>
<p>“Are you hurt?” she asked.</p>
<p>“Not badly. We’re almost there.”</p>
<p>Shea turned a corner and Aria’s stomach swooped alarmingly. She felt herself gag a bit.</p>
<p>“Nope, not allowed. You can throw up when I set you down. Until then, hold it in.”</p>
<p>Aria made a valiant attempt to swallow, and said as much out loud.</p>
<p>“Kinky,” Shea said, and Aria could picture the exhausted grin on her face.</p>
<p>“You’re useless.”</p>
<p>“Insult me again and I will leave you on the floor for all those mobs.”</p>
<p>Confused, Aria turned her head. And immediately regretted it. She didn’t count, but there were several zombies, a few skeletons, and a spider coming after them. “Where the hell did they come from?”</p>
<p>“They’ve been there for the last ten minutes. You decided to sleep through the interesting bits.” The redhead was gasping for air and (Aria assumed) because of pain, and yet still managed to be a smartass. But she wasn’t going to make her talk anymore; both their lives depended on Shea making it to the base.</p>
<p>An arrow slammed into the stone at Shea’s feet and the two tilted alarmingly toward the floor. With a loud groan, Shea came upright again, continuing in her staggering, uneven march. The day was slowly coming back to Aria, each wash of pain bringing her mind a little closer to full awareness. The two of them had been strip mining for hours, and eventually had come to a large, confusing mineshaft. It had been her idea to explore the mineshaft with just the two of them, which had been <i>so</i> stupid, but Shea had agreed without so much as a second of hesitation. </p>
<p>Aria had managed to stumble into four mob spawners, and had a chunk taken out of her side by a spider before she could even register how much danger she was in. Everything after that was either a blur or gone from memory, but her scream of pain must have alerted Shea, because here she was, bleeding all over her friend, barely conscious.</p>
<p>“I’m sorry,” she managed to say between waves of agony.</p>
<p>“Shut the fuck up.” Shea’s voice was strained and it sounded like she was clenching her teeth, and Aria decided she must have been in a lot more pain than she was willing to admit, probably even to herself.</p>
<p>“You should leave me,” Aria whispered, fighting back the panic that even <i>saying</i> those words brought. The death would be painful, shot full of arrows and torn apart, living for a long time until she either bled to death or passed out from pain. It was by far one of the worst ways to go. Lava was quicker, and drowning wasn’t so painful.</p>
<p>“I said <i>shut the fuck up.</i>  You’re not getting left behind. I couldn’t do that. Besides, you have all the good stuff. We would lose all our hard work.”</p>
<p>“Shea…”</p>
<p>“We are literally almost there. Stop talking.”</p>
<p>Aria obeyed, but every step Shea took seemed to be a little weaker, a little shorter, and a little harder to move on from. The arrows seemed to be hitting closer and closer. She desperately wished that Shea would leave her behind, and maybe one would make it out instead of both of them dying in these dark caves.</p>
<p>Shea turned another corner, and every single thought faded from Aria’s mind beyond <i>light.</i> The door was just in front of them. They stumbled closer, and hope bloomed in Aria’s chest despite the rational side of her brain saying, <i>You aren’t there yet.</i></p>
<p>There was a sudden sound of a hard impact and a cry, and Shea shuddered violently, nearly collapsing. Aria knew one of the arrows had finally hit its mark. They were done for, with the door right there. Despair washed through her, greater than the hope or pain had ever been. Neither of them could drag themselves that far in their condition.</p>
<p>By some miracle, Shea continued forward, stumbling until she got to a few yards in front of the door. The world tilted again, and the next thing Aria knew she was on the floor, leaning with her back against the wall. The monsters seemed to be right on top of them.</p>
<p>Shea was gasping, blood smeared across her face. Aria saw her in full for the first time, and marveled at the extent of the injuries. She had a broken-off arrow in her thigh, and now one sticking out of the soft part of her lower back. Other cuts and scratches littered her body, and her clothes were torn in several places, showing more minor injuries, but they had to hurt. “I can’t make it any farther. You need to get the rest of the way. You have all my items as well, so we won’t lose much. I’ll hold them off as best as I can.”</p>
<p>Before Aria could answer, she had a sword in her hand and was facing the horde. She felt like she was in a dream as she watched Shea take up a defensive position, dripping blood and sweat and in obvious pain, but willing to give one of her five precious lives for a friend, whose dumbass idea had gotten them in this situation in the first place.</p>
<p>Before the monsters had reached her, Shea turned one last time and saw that Aria was still sitting where she had left her, hardly able to comprehend what was happening. “Go!” she shouted desperately, just as the first zombie reached her. It made a swipe at her head with the shovel it was carrying and she just barely dodged, swinging upwards at the zombie’s head. The crunch of iron through bone was enough to jar Aria out of her daze, and she clutched at her bleeding side as she grabbed fiercely to the fencepost next to her, trying to drag herself to her feet.</p>
<p>She finally got purchase on the smooth stone of the cave and managed to hold her balance long enough to put one foot forward. That alone was enough to set her on her way toward the door, and she started to stagger toward the promise of light and safety. There was a cry from behind her, but she knew she couldn’t turn her head or she would fall. “Shea!” she called back to her friend, frantically trying to convey that she was still here for her.</p>
<p>“Go!” the woman screamed again, but there was a note of panic in her voice. Aria felt a tear drip down her cheek, but she kept going, tripping, nearly falling, and yet holding herself up by sheer will. The door was a few feet away, so close… <i>so close…</i></p>
<p>Finally her hand touched the rough handle and she pulled it open, falling through the entrance and landing hard on her knees. The impact sent a flood of pain through her, but she forced herself to turn and look back. “Shea! I made it! Come on!” she cried, seeing the redhead still locked in a life-or-death fight with another zombie, two already at her feet. She had three more arrows in her, and there was <i>too much red</i> splattering the floor and walls.</p>
<p>Hearing her, Shea stumbled back and turned, locking eyes with Aria. She began to run at slow, staggering pace.</p>
<p>The spider finally dropped from the ceiling, landing on her back and slamming her to the ground. Shea looked back at Aria, eyes wild with fear and pain as the other mobs closed in, and Aria couldn’t hear anything beyond the sounds of monsters. She started to crawl forward, desperate to do anything to help, but Shea’s face changed instantly, the terror replaced by a warm smile. “Close the door,” she said softly, so Aria could barely hear her.</p>
<p>“I can’t,” Aria responded, another tear tracing its way down her cheek. She watched one of the zombies claw at Shea’s leg.</p>
<p>“I’ll respawn, you dumb bitch.” She forced a laugh, but another cry was dragged out of her as the spider sank its teeth into her shoulder. “Close the door!” she nearly begged, the pretense of calm gone.</p>
<p>Aria did.</p>
<p>She closed the door on one of her closest friends.</p>
<p>She listened to Shea die, her screams, her tears, her begging for it to stop.</p>
<p>
  <i>Shea was slain by Spider</i>
</p>
<p>Leaning her back against the door, she wept.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Yeet</p>
<p>smii7y said it was making a comeback, and so here I am. </p>
<p>Congrats on making it out of the chapter alive! :D You're already doing better than Shea, poor baby</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. The Hunt for Aria</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Shea is dead, trapped in respawn, but Aria is still missing somewhere deep in the caves.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hi I despise this chapter. It has taken me way too long to write, both due to lack of motivation and because my college midterm schedule has FUCKED me</p>
<p>Enjoy (or don't) this clusterfuck</p>
<p>And leave your gun and badge at the door :)</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p><b>Life Count:</b><br/>Kathleen: ?<br/>Aria: 5<br/>Lily: 5<br/>Anna: 5<br/>Connor: 5<br/>Shea: 4<br/>Raye: 5<br/>Ausa: 5<br/>Jack: 5</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <i>Shea was slain by Spider</i>
</p>
<p>The tag startled Lily, causing her to pause in her planting. She knew Aria and Shea had been mining, but she hadn’t expected anything bad to come from it. Shea was a bit of a wildcard, but she was also a fantastic survivalist and despised dying (as they all did), and Aria was usually a steadying presence.</p>
<p><i>Shit.</i> Aria. If Shea was dead, that meant Aria might be dying as well. Hurriedly, Lily set down the seeds, darting back into her house. She heard Anna crashing around upstairs and called up to her.</p>
<p>“Jack and I are going to look for Aria,” Anna said as she appeared at the stairs, belting a sword around her waist. “They were mining pretty far away I think, so Shea won’t be back for a while.”</p>
<p>Lily nodded. They would have to search the strip mines, rather than Shea pointing the way, or at least giving directions. “I’ll come with you,” she responded, grabbing her own sword from the table and slinging the strap over her shoulder, following Anna out of the house. The rest of the group had collected in the little valley, minus Connor, who was absent. They all knew that as soon as the tag had popped up he had gone immediately to Shea’s house and was waiting by her bed. Everyone had their person who would wait for them if they died, and he and Shea were each always there for the other.</p>
<p>“Jack, Anna, Lily?” Kathleen asked, and the three nodded silently. She dipped her head in return. “The rest of us will keep working. There is still a lot to do around here. Do you guys have a golden apple?”</p>
<p>Jack shook his head. “Not yet. We had a little bit of gold, but no apples.”</p>
<p>“Take some extra food, in case you find her alive. She’ll have to recover the hard way.” Normally, that would have sounded cruel, but Kathleen had a habit of falling into brutal efficiency when she was worried. </p>
<p>The three turned to head north toward the desert, on the other side of which was the ravine that the two had started out in. From there, who knew how many branches, twists, and turns they would encounter. But there was an unspoken rule, if at all possible, no one dies alone.</p>
<p>They passed by Shea’s house on the way out, and Anna gave the others a questioning look. Jack nodded. “Never hurts.”</p>
<p>They walked up to the cobblestone tower and Jack opened the door to see Connor reading a book, sitting at the edge of Shea’s bed. He looked up as the three filed in, smiling. “I’ll be here if you need anything,” he said, a touch of sadness coloring his voice.</p>
<p>Anna put a hand on his shoulder. “Tell her we love her when she gets back.”</p>
<p>He nodded. “She’ll be down for a few days. What a way to go.”</p>
<p>Lily shuddered. She had only experienced it once, and preferred never to have to go through it again. Even getting burnt alive was better. Much quicker, at any rate. “To be fair, though, it’s Shea. She may not let herself stay down,” she laughed, and the other three smiled slightly. “We’ll be back eventually. Hopefully with Aria.”</p>
<p>“See you then.” He turned back to his book. “Good luck,” he added as they turned to leave. </p>
<p>“Thanks. You too,” Jack replied, and closed the door behind them. As they continued north, Lily felt the subdued atmosphere, from both the group and herself. The first death always carried weight, especially if it was such a bad one. Usually someone was a dumbass and fell off a cliff, or drowned because it was preferable to starving to death. Or got struck by lightning, in Raye’s case a few worlds ago. That was still brought up every once in a while, mostly in surprise. She always reiterated it was one of the best ways to go.</p>
<p>The trek across the desert was hot and uncomfortable, but no one complained. They distracted each other with conversation, but it all felt meaningless and detached. Everyone was worried about Aria, and it was only halfway across the desert that Lily realized how quickly they were walking, practically marching through the sand. She grinned wryly. For all their tough talk and constant roasting of each other, they did care. Deeply.</p>
<p>The sky was darkening rapidly by the time they found the cave in the mountains beyond the desert. Lily was already tired, and she could tell Jack and Anna were flagging as well. Aria was still alive, thankfully, but there was a mounting concern that she was not going to make it. Every minute that they spent scrabbling over a peak was a minute that the woman could be losing more blood, growing weaker and closer to death. She had spent almost a full eight hours alone in a cave. </p>
<p>They entered with torches blazing, but found it unnecessary. Shea wasn’t good at lighting caves, but Aria was, and made sure that when going in the torches were on the right wall and when leaving they were on the left. It was a system that had saved all of their asses multiple times, and Shea <i>still</i> had to be told to abide by it. Just another one of her things.</p>
<p>They crawled their way through the winding tunnels, slipping and sliding on loose rocks and debris, a train of swearing and sweating individuals unified by the common purpose of “Hey, maybe our friend should at least be comfortable in death, if nothing else.” Lily wasn’t a fan of caving; the walls seemed to press in around her and she wouldn’t be able to differentiate between the tunnels, so eventually she would end up walking in circles looking for the way out. Thankfully, Jack and Anna were better, and they plowed on through the cave until they hit the strip mines.</p>
<p>“Shit,” Lily breathed. The tunnel seemed to go on forever, with one-block-wide strip mines stretching into the distance. “This will take hours.”</p>
<p>“Split up?” Jack asked, but immediately snapped his mouth shut in response to the glare the two women shot at him. He raised his hands in surrender. “My bad.”</p>
<p>“Let’s think about this,” Lily said. “Odds are good they found a cave, since Aria would force good lighting in the strip mine so nothing would spawn behind them. And considering Shea died, I would say they explored it immediately instead of waiting until they had more materials, meaning the cave <i>should</i> be toward the end of the strip mine, if not the last one.”</p>
<p>Anna nodded. “Makes sense to me. Start at the end and work our way back.”</p>
<p>So they did. Single-file, they walked down the narrow tunnel, passing opening after opening until looking back looked exactly the same as looking forward. Lily <i>really</i> didn’t like it. At one point they stopped to drink water and have a bit of food, sitting down on the stone floor and trying to ignore the feeling of eternity stretching out on all sides. “How long were they fucking <i>down</i> here,” Anna whispers, and even that sounds too loud. </p>
<p>The silence is ringing, no sounds from mobs, water, or lava to disturb the emptiness of the cave. Lily could almost hear her joints creaking every time she shifted her weight on the uncomfortable floor. She couldn’t imagine being trapped down here, alone, injured, waiting to die. An involuntary shudder worked its way up her back, and both Anna and Jack nodded in response, scanning the bareness around them.</p>
<p>“This is awful,” Jack muttered, pushing himself to his feet. “I feel like we are disturbing a monster.”</p>
<p>“Keep in mind, two dumbasses sat down here for hours to carve this. It’s just your imagination,” Anna replied. “It’s even well-lit, so no worry about monsters.”</p>
<p>Lily grimaced. “Still. I’ve never liked caving.”</p>
<p>“Then let’s hurry,” Anna said, and helped Lily to her feet. They continued on.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>---------------</p>
<p>They finally reached the back wall of the strip mine, and looked out to the right and left branches, trying to decide which way to go. Jack sighed. “It’s been this long, might as well just go for it.”</p>
<p>“As long as we don’t split up, I’m good with that.” Lily attempted a smile, but it fell short. No one questioned it.</p>
<p>The three tried the left side first. Walking down the one-block-wide strip was way worse than walking down the original tunnel, Lily decided almost immediately. The original tunnel had space due to the strip mines every other block. However, this was just a tight space that three people had to fit into, walking in a straight line, dodging torches and loose rubble from the mining. After a few hundred yards, Jack paused, taking a closer look at the pickaxe cuts in the walls.</p>
<p>“This is Shea’s mine,” he said, after a few seconds of examining. “You can tell the cuts are switching back and forth between her hands when one gets tired. Aria isn’t ambidextrous.”</p>
<p>Anna crouched next to him, but Lily didn’t bother. She didn’t have the experience to be able to tell.</p>
<p>“What do you know. And, due to the dangerous idea that is exploring caves with just two people with not a lot of materials, I would say it was Shea’s idea. Aria is rarely that adventurous.” Anna leaned back on her heels, looking at the roughly hewn tunnel.</p>
<p>“So, you think we’re on the right track?” Lily piped up from behind.</p>
<p>“To be honest, I have no clue. But it’s not a bad theory. There is a good chance we’re close.”</p>
<p>They picked up speed toward the end of the strip mine, a tangible feeling of hope replacing the original fear that Lily had felt. They were so close!</p>
<p>They were also wrong. Anna groaned as they came in sight of the end of the mine, a blank stone wall without a cave in sight. “Alright, hustle back. We’ll try the other side, and if that is wrong, I guess we have to start doing it systematically.”</p>
<p>So they turned around, the hope replaced again by dread and a little bit of fear, at least on Lily’s end. The other two looked tense, but she felt as if she was almost shaking. Someone had mentioned “claustrophobia” once, and since then it had sat in the back of her mind. She refused to admit it, because then the group would worry and try to avoid sending her into caves, which would then make her feel like an inconvenience, but it was still an ever-present thought.</p>
<p>Making it back to the original tunnel, they started out in the opposite direction. Jack stated this was very obviously Aria’s mine, but again Lily could not see it. Both caves were neatly cut, with only a little bit of loose stone on the floor. As they kept walking she tried to see the difference, but gave up after a few minutes. </p>
<p>Despite her chaotic nature and unfortunate habit of not looking before she leapt, Shea was a perfectionist and mostly very organized. Aria was less of a perfectionist, but more organized in general, probably the most systematic on the server. She was not known for making rash decisions, or even dangerous ones, so Lily desperately wanted to know what had caused the disaster that had killed Shea. Maybe they had been separated, but considering Aria hadn’t resurfaced at seeing her death, everyone was sure that was unlikely. (Obviously, or they wouldn’t be in a cave searching for the young woman. Lily shuddered again.)</p>
<p>Everyone’s energy was flagging. They took another water break, standing because there was barely enough room to sit, and it lasted much longer than the last one. The other two seemed to be getting used to the tight space and were fine standing there for a while, and Lily was so tired she didn’t mind just to have a chance to breathe. She pushed back the thought of having to get out of here with a body in tow.</p>
<p>Silently they continued on, following torch after torch through the darkness. Lily crowded up close behind Anna, refusing to look backward. She knew if she did, she might start crying, since it looked exactly the same as looking forward. Anna looked over her shoulder and saw the dark-haired woman right behind her. She gave a soft smile and reached her hand back, facing forward again. She felt Lily’s cold, clammy hand slip into her own. They kept going, feet dragging on the floor, Jack leading the way and Anna and Lily right behind, Lily clinging to Anna like a lifeline. </p>
<p>Jack gave a cry, and Lily’s head snapped up. There was a stone wall in front of them, but there was an opening off the side. It was well-lit, and as they got closer there was the distinct feeling in the air of a cave. “Holy shit, Anna,” she breathed. “Maybe you were right.”</p>
<p>“Never doubt my intuition,” Anna said, but the joking in her voice was overridden by concern at what they might find. They had picked up speed without even realizing it, and Jack skidded around the corner into a small room.</p>
<p>It was very small, with only two chests, a crafting table, a furnace, and a door. Outside the door was black, and a distant groan of a zombie cemented the fact that Lily did <i>not</i> want to go out there.</p>
<p>Aria was stretched out between two chests, back against the wall and eyes closed, holding her side. Blood had welled between her fingers, but it looked older, as if it had stopped bleeding a while ago. That would explain how she was still alive.</p>
<p>The three crowded around her, Lily already pulling bandages out of her inventory and Anna pulling Aria’s hand away from the wound. Anna hissed as she pulled the shirt away as well, everything glued together with an unhealthy layer of blood. It was pretty congealed, but the amount was very concerning. Aria’s breathing was shallow and her skin pale, and her face barely shifted in her unconsciousness. </p>
<p>Once the shirt was moved far enough out of the way, Lily handed Anna a cloth and her water bottle. Anna set to the grim task of cleaning the wound, which appeared to be the results of a spider clamping down on her side and then being ripped away, either from its own volition or Aria jerking away. There were long, deep scores, and the flesh in that area was absolutely shredded. Lily cringed. It was a miracle she had lived this long. </p>
<p>“How do we plan on getting her out?” Jack asked, as he searched through the chest. “There is enough iron for a minecart, but not enough for tracks all the way out. And we could try to lay down a few tracks at a time, but the tunnels are too thin, so we would have to climb over the cart constantly.”</p>
<p>“Mining?” Lily asked. Anna shook her head, still bandaging Aria’s side.</p>
<p>“That would take longer and be more energy-consuming that it is worth. I think we’ll have to carry her out, and then maybe dragging her in a boat on the surface.”</p>
<p>Jack nodded. “I think that is best. You two are pretty small, so you can carry her together, and then when you get tired, I’ll take over, and so on.”</p>
<p>They quickly ironed out the final details, and then Jack gently picked up the injured woman. “Let’s get going. I want to get back as quickly as possible.”</p>
<p>Hours later, the four resurfaced into the desert. Thankfully it was daytime, because not one of them had enough energy to fight off any mobs. Lily lay on the ground, sweating and muscles aching, as Jack built the boat so they could drag Aria down the mountain and back across the desert to their home. Anna was checking her wounds, muttering under her breath.</p>
<p>“Is she ok?” Lily asked, pushing herself up on her elbows.</p>
<p>“I don’t like that she isn’t waking up. She may die yet.”</p>
<p>“Well, at least she’ll be closer to home so it won’t take as long and will hurt less. If we can get her to her bed before she bites it, that would be even better. She’ll end up having a better respawn than Shea, anyway.”</p>
<p>The boat was finished, and they carefully placed Aria into it, taking up positions around it to make sure it wouldn’t fall over. And began the slow, arduous trek back home.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>sorry for the cutoff, but I just couldn't write any more :/</p>
<p>I apologize for everything</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Rest, Please</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Shea wakes up.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>More of a filler chapter. I am a SUCKER for hurt/comfort, and I figured I would throw this in here because I could :D</p><p>Leave your gun and badge at the door</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p><b>Life Count:</b><br/>
Kathleen: ?<br/>
Aria: 5<br/>
Lily: 5<br/>
Anna: 5<br/>
Connor: 5<br/>
Shea: 4<br/>
Raye: 5<br/>
Ausa: 5<br/>
Jack: 5</p><p>Connor had been reading for hours, but didn’t remember a single word. He only realized after it took him four tries to read a page, and he slammed the book into his lap, running a hand through his hair. He leaned his head back, resting it on the back of the chair and closing his eyes. “Dammit, Shea,” he whispered. </p><p>“What did I do?” a weak voice asked, and he snapped upright. The redhead was stretched flat on the bed, breathing shallowly in obvious pain. New scars littered her face, small, jagged lines in random directions, looking as if she had been absolutely ripped apart.</p><p>“Oh my god. Are you ok?” he asked, leaning forward.</p><p>“I’ll get back to you on that.” She shifted and bit her lip, then heaved a breath when she stopped moving. “It hurts.” </p><p>“What happened?” He reached out a hand, and she grasped it tightly. Aside from the comfort it obviously provided, he could tell when the pain got worse, because the little bones in his hand would start to creak from her grip.</p><p>She didn’t answer for several minutes, and he didn’t push her. She was not prone to showing emotions in front of people, but he had been around her long enough to see the minute indicators flicking across her face. He could tell she would be thinking about this death for a long time. Finally, she took a shuddering breath. “I think… I should avoid that cave from now on.”</p><p>Her grip increased again, and he scooted closer, resting their hands on his thigh. “Very fair,” he replied, leaning back on his chair. “You don’t have to go back at all if you don’t want to.”</p><p>Her eyes flashed indignantly, then she sagged back, nodding. Connor was worried. Usually her anger lasted longer than that, especially when she felt someone had implied she was weak or afraid. Something <i>very</i> bad had happened down in the cave.</p><p>Suddenly, she was struggling to sit, panic on her face. “Aria,” she gasped, trying to push herself off the bed. Connor grabbed her shoulders and held her in place.</p><p>“She’s still alive. Lily, Anna, and Jack went down to get her.” He rubbed his thumbs over the tension in her shoulders, but she continued to fight him.</p><p>“I have to help them!” she cried. “We were down there forever, it will be like looking for a needle in a haystack! Aria will be dead before they even get close.”</p><p>“Shea, there’s nothing you can do. They’ve been gone for almost a full day.”</p><p>She stopped struggling, frozen, her eyes wide. “I was respawning for that long?”</p><p>He nodded, sitting next to her on the bed to make sure she wouldn’t try to get up again. “They’ll be back at some point, either with her or because she is dead. They’re not going to leave her down there.”</p><p>“I know that. But after everything…” she trailed off, a faraway look in her eyes.</p><p>Wow. <i>Very</i> bad. “Do you want to talk about it?” he asked gently, and her faraway look faded. She turned to look at him.</p><p>“Not this time, I think. At least, not now.” She took a shuddering breath, relaxing a bit. “It was awful.”</p><p>“Very fair. I’m so sorry.”</p><p>She gave a quiet hum of acknowledgement, snuggling down into the pillows and covers. She reached out a hand from the pile of blankets and waved it around until he caught it, interlacing their fingers and holding it in his lap. Her warmth bled into him, and soon her breathing slowed and she fell asleep, nestled into his side.</p><p>It was rare that she was so physically affectionate, but he figured she had to be in a lot of pain at the moment, and after the disaster that was the caving experience, he really couldn’t fault her. It was nice, anyway. The warmth, quiet, and release from stress lulled him into an easy sleep. </p><p>The sound of a door opening woke him from a half-doze. He was still warm, but on the edge of being hot, and he wasn’t in a good enough position to really fall asleep. Lily stepped into the house quietly, looking up to see Connor on the bed with Shea presumably in the huge stack of covers at his right hip. Then Connor noticed the blood.</p><p>He couldn’t help the gasp, and Lily nodded, face set in a grim line. “She’s alive, but barely.”</p><p>“Should I wake her up?” he whispered, and Lily shrugged, exhaustion evident in every line of her body.</p><p>“That’s your call. How is she?”</p><p>“She’s ok. A lot of scarring and a lot of pain, though. And she doesn’t want to talk about it.”</p><p>Lily sighed heavily, rubbing the back of her neck. “It’s so early in this world. I hoped we wouldn’t have to deal with it yet.”</p><p>“Do you want to sit?” Connor asked, motioning with his free hand to the chair he had been sitting in previously. “Unless you need to go take care of Aria.”</p><p>“Already did. She’s still unconscious, but Kathleen is sitting with her now while Anna and Jack get rest.”</p><p>“What about you?”</p><p>“I think I’ll just take that chair,” she said, and fell into it gratefully. Connor stayed quiet, letting her work through her thoughts for a bit. She had obviously pushed herself beyond her limits, and he was worried about her. They had all seen each other die, even been responsible for some of it, but everyone seemed especially tense about this one. Shea had every right to be, because it had to be horrible to warrant the reaction she had had, but what had happened to Aria that was making Lily so quiet?</p><p>Finally, she took a deep breath. “I don’t know why I feel so horrible. It’s happened before,” she said. Connor nodded, trying not to move too much and accidentally wake Shea up.</p><p>“I was thinking the same thing. Everyone is so subdued.”</p><p>“Down there… it was awful. Tunnels stretching as far as the eye could see, and no matter how far forward you walked it looked exactly the same for so long. The stress of searching, with how tired we were, and the crushing emptiness of the tunnels. I think all of that together, as well as finding her in the shape we did, that was just too much.”</p><p>Connor looked down at the bed, the tangled covers and Shea curled into a tight little ball. He gave a small nod and turned to Lily again. “There’s space, if you want. I know Shea wouldn’t mind.”</p><p>Lily smiled, and his heart hurt at how small and fragile it seemed. “Let me change. I’ll be back.” She stood and left the house, obviously hurting. Connor knew she would be unbearably sore tomorrow, if nothing else.</p><p>Gently, he reached down and shook Shea’s shoulder. She moaned from beneath the blanket, and he shook a bit harder. Finally, he heard a muffled “What, bitch?”</p><p>“Lily isn’t doing well. Do you mind if she joins us?”</p><p>Shea threw back the blanket, cringing as she did so. “Of course not. My bed is open to anyone.”</p><p>Connor raised an eyebrow. “Kinky.”</p><p>“You know what I mean, fucker. You’re <i>so</i> close to losing bed privileges, I hope you know.”</p><p>“You would never kick me out of your bed.”</p><p>“I would kick you out in the blink of an eye.”</p><p>He shook his head, grinning. “Nice to have you back. Now scoot over.”</p><p>She tried to move, gritting her teeth, but one small squeak of pain broke through and Connor shook his head. Kneeling on the bed, he picked her up, much to her disgust. “I <i>can</i> move, you know,” she said, swatting at his arm as he placed her in the middle of the bed.</p><p>“Of course, babe, but the look on your face was so entertaining,” he replied, lying down next to her and pulling the covers up over both of them. She again nestled into his side, resting her cheek on his chest. </p><p>“Your heartbeat is loud,” she complained. </p><p>“Then move.”</p><p>“You got me there,” she muttered, and shifted but didn’t change positions. He wrapped an arm around her, and her breathing began to lose its pained, fluttering quality.</p><p>Soon, Lily returned, clean and in new clothes, but still obviously very tired. Connor used his free arm to motion to the other side of Shea, and she nodded, walking over and gently climbing under the covers. She lay down gingerly, as if trying not to jostle the injured woman, but Shea snorted.</p><p>“Take your time, Lily,” she said, voice heavy with sleep.</p><p>“My bad,” Lily shot back sarcastically, and pulled the covers back up. Shea reached a hand over her own body as Lily pressed their backs together, and Lily’s hand met hers. Connor saw them both squeeze and then lie still, and gave a small smile.</p><p>It was not long at all before both of them were out cold, leaving only Connor awake. Shea, probably due to her own pain and sleepiness, hadn’t registered that Lily being back meant Aria was back too, or else she would have dragged herself to Aria’s side despite the protests of everyone. Looking down at her sleeping face, scarred but peaceful, he figured now would not be the best time to go about telling her.</p><p>For now, he closed his eyes, letting the evening sun that was beginning to touch the room wash over him. The room was golden, the air warm and still, and he was with people he loved. So he slept.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Normalize platonic cuddling please, I just need cuddles</p><p>Short chapter, yes, do I care, nope</p><p>Feel free to leave a comment :)</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
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